What happens to money donated to Jay Slater's GoFundMe page?
Slater's mother Debbie Duncan said money raised online would be used to support mountain rescue teams and cover her accommodation and food costs.
The GoFundMe page for Jay Slater has now raised more than £50,000 – after his mother revealed they would be using part of the funds to stay in Tenerife and continue searching for the 19-year-old.
Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on 17 June after leaving the NRG music festival at the Papagayo nightclub in Tenerife, which he had attended with two friends.
He had attempted to walk back to his hotel after missing his bus, a journey that would have taken 11 hours by foot.
In the latest GoFundMe page update on 3 July, Slater’s mother Debbie Duncan expressed her gratitude to everyone for their support.
She said that the funds were being used to aid volunteers, such as TikTok mountaineer Paul Arnett, after authorities ended the official search.
Duncan wrote on Wednesday: “We are currently looking after Paul Arnett, putting together a package of any equipment and essentials he needs and going up to do a drop for him.
“The remaining funds will continue to be used to support the rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay as well as our own expenses as we remain in Tenerife looking for our boy.”
It comes after Slater’s family hit out at another TikToker, Callum Fahim, who quit the search after claiming he received death threats, adding he had never received any money from the family.
Slater’s family disputed this and told Sky News Duncan had given him £740 out of her own money for accommodation. They added “we don't need hikers, we need experts”.
Duncan previously said part of the funds will also be used to fly the loved ones of people supporting her to Tenerife “so we can support each other during these dark times”.
Mark Williams-Thomas, a police officer turned investigative journalist who fronted a TV documentary that exposed the crimes of Jimmy Savile, is aiding the family in their search and has recommended they use the fundraiser money on experts, the Lancashire Telegraph reports.
Donations flooded in after a fundraiser was set up by Lucy Law, Slater’s friend and the last person to speak to him.
Watch: Former British police investigator outlines 'two options' which may have happened to missing Jay Slater in Tenerife
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The fundraiser itself has previously come in for criticism and been linked to unfounded conspiracy theories about his disappearance, including how the money raised might be used.
Duncan has criticised online trolls comparing her to Karen Matthews, who was involved in a fake kidnapping plot of her nine-year-old daughter in 2008, telling the Daily Mail: "People keep saying on social media why aren’t I up there [helping the search] and calling me the new Karen Matthews, I just can’t face it.”
What checks does GoFundMe have in place?
On its website, GoFundMe provides a set of verification guidelines for users' campaigns, asking them to say who they are, who they are raising the funds for, their relationship to the beneficiary, how the funds will be spent, and how the funds will be delivered to the beneficiary.
GoFundMe told Yahoo News in a statement: "We are in touch with Jay Slater's mother, Debbie, and working with her to keep everyone updated on how their donations will be used in the search. For now, the money is with GoFundMe as we work through the next steps."
GoFundMe states that an "overwhelming majority of fundraisers on the site are safe and legitimate, as fraudulent fundraisers make up less than one-tenth of 1% of all fundraisers" on its platform.
"In the rare instance that someone does create a misleading fundraiser with the intention of taking advantage of others’ generosity, GoFundMe takes swift action to resolve the issue," it says on its website.
It says it relies on its community of users to flag suspected fraudulent cases and urges them to contact them here. Police and other law enforcement officers can contact GoFundMe here.
As soon as fundraisers start receiving money on the site, they request a withdrawal at any time, which does not affect the metre displayed on the main page showing total progress.
Users can click "withdraw" while logged into their account and follow the instructions and send the money directly to their bank account, which should take 2-5 business days to arrive.
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